Not mine, but a girl can dream.

Warning: language and sexual innuendo, smut, and not Morelli friendly - actually I didn't change his character, I just called it like I see it.

This is not the chapter I thought it would be. My muse took a right turn and I just followed.

Better Man Ch. 6

Ranger had pity on me after our big talk and agreed that a little break would be good. I snuggled down into his billion thread count sheets for a little nap. He headed to his home office to check on a few things. I am pretty sure he also went to get some throat lozenges. I mean the man had talked a lot. I know how my legs feel the day after me forces me to go jogging. I can only imagine his vocal cords were having similar spasms.

I slept better than I thought I would. Why shouldn't I? I had made a decision about my job! Yeah me! Of the list of things I had told Ranger I wanted to discuss we could check off my job, the burg, and ½ of the Ranger/Stephanie talk. Well, that only left my family, Joe and the other ½ of the Ranger/Stephanie talk. Huh. I think I felt a lot better about what I had accomplished before I thought about the subjects that were yet to come. Shit. Well, I guess since I was going to need my energy, 'I do deserve that nap' was the last thought in my head before I drifted off to sleep.

Ranger woke me after Ella had brought up lunch for us, homemade macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake. Mmmm comfort food. The morning must have taken a lot out of Ranger, because he ate it too. Then it was time for the Joe talk. I wiggled around and tried to stall until Ranger settled me between his legs again, my back to his front and wrapped his arms around me.

"Talk," he stated.

I hedged, "I don't know how I feel about talking to you about Joe. I mean it feels kind of weird." I knew I had a lot to process about our relationship mainly brought on by things Ranger had brought to my attention, but it still felt weird.

"Why?" Well I guess One Word Ranger is back. Too bad really, I could add Chatty Ranger to the collection I had going, Badass Ranger, Street Ranger, Armani Ranger, Army Ranger, CEO Ranger, Sexy Ranger – hell, they were all Sexy Ranger.

"Babe, you make me sound like an action figure." He chuckled and then he paused. "You need to talk about Joe. Is there someone else you could talk to?" Mary Lou – no, Connie or Lu La – un uh, Valarie – nope, Grandma – grin, Mom – oh hell no! As I finished the list of other candidates, I shook my head no.

"Babe, as much as I would like to not hear the details of your relationship with Morelli, you need to talk to a friend. You told me we were friends right?" He asked.

I swallowed before I answered quietly, "You're my best friend." He hugged me and placed a kiss on top of my head.

I sighed, "Ok, but I can only talk about this to the part of you that is my friend, not the part of you that wants to have sex with me."

"Babe, every part of me wants to have sex with you. But I will do my best to set that aside." He held up three fingers on his hand to emphasize his pledge. Batman was a boy scout? Of course he was.

He waited for me to start, but when I couldn't he asked, "Why are you with Joe?"

I shrugged, "It just sort of happened. It seems like our whole lives we have been circling around each other. We played when we were kids at the park, in the neighborhood, in his dad's garage…" I trailed off.

"Why were you playing in the garage?" He sounded puzzled.

How did he not know this story? I turned around just to see that he was serious, and he wasn't teasing me. I moved and sat cross legged facing him as I continued. "When I was little, I was like 6 and I think Joe was 8 he told me he wanted to show me a game he wanted to play with me."

"Yeah?" He had a weary look on his face.

Wow this was awkward, "Umm..and well his game was called choo choo. He was the train and I was the tunnel. He took my panties off and crawled between my legs." I finished quickly.

"WHAT?" He looked incredulous. His eyes were slits – they had a murderous quality about them.

I jumped back in shock. "Why are you so upset? I thought you knew this story, hell I thought everyone knew this story."

"Really Stephanie? You thought I knew that Morelli molested you when you were a little girl? You thought maybe you just slipped that into conversation over lunch sometime and I just forgot. FUCK!" He bellowed.

What the hell? "What are you talking about? He didn't molest me! We were just kids playing doctor. It was no big deal, I mean didn't everybody do stuff like that when they were little? It is a normal part of growing up right?" To say I was shocked at his reaction would be putting it mildly.

He tried to calm himself, unsuccessfully. "No Steph, it is not normal to be fingered by a playmate while you are in elementary school. It doesn't sound like a "you show me yours and I'll show you mine" situation. He took advantage of you."

He must have misunderstood, he was overreacting. "Listen, I was there, I know. It was no big deal. You make it sound like I was a victim or something. Jesus. My mom was just mad at me for not staying away from him, the Morelli boys had reputations."

"Your mother knew? And she was mad at you?" His voice was on the rise again.

"Christ Ranger, calm down. I am not stupid. You are making me feel like an idiot, just drop it please." I knew I wasn't the smartest kid, too curious for my own good, but I didn't want to get any further into it with him.

He set his jaw and looked at me. I folded my arms across my chest defiantly.

"We will set this topic aside for now, but it is not over." He relented.

"Fine. Do you want me to continue?" I asked coldly. He nodded yes.

"Well, we went to school together; all of the girls in the burg had crushes on Joe. He was older; he was in Val's class. He had that bad boy vibe." Ranger snorted. It was happening with alarming frequency lately. "Can you control yourself please?" He looked apologetic so I continued. "He dated Terri Gilman all though high school, everyone thought they would get married." I made a face. I did keep myself from sticking out my tongue though. I knew what would become of that and things seemed complicated enough at the moment.

"I thought you and Joe dated in high school?" He quirked an eyebrow, damn, I wish I could do that.

I shook my head, "No, why would you think that?"

"I thought you were high school sweethearts, that was where the history came from." He stated logically. He should know by now, nothing in my life was logical.

Now I snorted, it must be catching. "No we never dated, just the Tasty Pastry thing."

"What Tasty Pastry thing? The Bakery?" Poor Batman, he looked lost. I seemed to have that effect on him.

I rolled my eyes. How did he not know this? Whoever researched my background for him should be fired.

Quietly but quickly I answered, "No, my first time – I was 16, it was with Joe at the Tasty Pastry." His eyebrows almost shot off his head before he schooled his blank face again.

"Explain," he ordered.

I sighed and repeated dispassionately, "It was summer; I worked at the Tasty Pastry. Right before close, Joe came in to buy some cannoli for his mom. He ended up with my virginity too."

He looked incredulous, "How? Where?"

I shrugged, "He was charming. Behind the counter, on the floor." Not one of my finer moments, I thought.

Deep breathing from Ranger, "Was this when you started dating?"

What was with him? Exasperated, I answered, "No, he left for the Navy shortly after. I didn't see him again for two years. Of course before he left he wrote those poems about me for the entire burg to see. So everyone knew what happened. I'm surprised you don't know this story. I was grounded for the rest of the summer."

Ranger abruptly got up and left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. I thought about following, but the look on his face made me think he needed a little alone time. Best to let him have it, I thought.

From the dining room I heard an animalistic roar and then several crashes, more roaring sporadically interjected. I wasn't sure what he had broken, but I thought, 'Ooooh… that has got to hurt.' And then it was quiet.

After a few minutes the bedroom door opened and Ranger came back in. To most people he would have looked calm. I knew better. He was seething. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He walked in long quick strides to me, picked me up bridal style and crushed me to him. He was squeezing me tightly and rocking side to side, Spanish words flying rapidly off of his tongue. Just when I thought he may crush me, he must have realized what he was doing and loosened his grip, seeming to calm some. He sat back on the bed, leaning into the headboard for support. He rearranged me so I was now straddling him. He held me snuggly to him as he placed kisses in my hair before tilting my face up to his and placing small, gentle kisses all over my face. He tucked my head under his chin and wrapped his arms around me. He leaned his head back against the headboard and sighed. The snorting, the sighing, yup, I had broken Batman.

I waited patiently as long as I could. It seemed like hours in Stephanie time, which probably equated to about five minutes.

"Ranger?" I asked, not sure of what just happened.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

Now I was really confused. "For what Ranger?"

He sounded choked up, "I had no idea. I knew he had this pull, this control over you. But I didn't know why. And I sent you back to that fucker! God Steph, I am so sorry."

Involuntarily, my voice rose, "Control? Who has control over me? What the hell are you talking about?" I jerked back to look at him.

He looked at me sadly, "You don't see it do you? I knew the burg was one fucked up little town, but I had no idea."

I gave him a look that was somewhere between supremely pissed and horribly confused.

He reached forward and held my face in his hands briefly, before pulling them back to his sides. "Why don't you let me tell you what I have heard from you today about your youth in the burg and maybe you can understand why I am so upset."

I nodded for him to continue, "When you were 6, you were sexually molested by a neighborhood boy who was known as a sexual deviant. Rather than comforting you or seeking help for you, your mother punished you. Later this same boy took advantage of you, stealing your virginity, spreading the victory of it all over town before disappearing from the scene while again you were punished again. No wonder you have no confidence in yourself."

Who was he to tell me about what happened in my life? I was there. I should know. "I told you he didn't molest me! We were just kids, playing a game. I am sure I was not the only girl he played that with. And as for my virginity, he didn't steal anything. I had sex with him. It was my choice. Again, he deflowered half the girls in the burg. As far as I know, I was the only one who got the poems though."

He was trying to stay calm, but losing the battle, his famous control was slipping, "You chose to lose your virginity to a boy you weren't dating on the floor behind the pastry counter at work? Really? It was your idea? It was what you had always dreamed of? Did you suggest he write about it all over town too? I am going to fucking kill him!"

Rapidly approaching rhino mode I answered, "Well excuse me for not waiting for my wedding night! No it wasn't my idea and no it wasn't perfect, but no use in thinking about it now, you can't change the past. And I was pissed as hell about the poems. That's why the next time I saw him I ran him over with the Buick and broke his fucking leg!" By that time I was screaming.

Ranger froze, his blank face slipped and he grinned. Guess he didn't know that part either.

Quickly, before I could react, he scooped me up again and set me on his lap, wrapping his arms around me. I sulked for a minute before I snaked my arms around him returning his hug.

"Babe, when I said I wanted to talk about Morelli, this is not the conversation I expected. I am not used to being surprised like that. I am angry, but not at you. I had no idea all of this stuff was in your past. I never expected that you were holding on to these types of secrets." His voice softened as he finished.

"Ranger, what secrets are you talking about? I am sorry if you didn't know any of this before. But you could have asked anybody from the burg and they could have told you all of it. Everybody knows; it is no big deal." He was worrying me.

He hugged me again, "Stephanie," uh oh full name, "It is a big deal. The things you described to me, they are not normal. You shouldn't have had to go through them. People shouldn't have stood by and let these things happen to you, to the other girls. To make you feel like you were at fault – to punish you is unconscionable."

"I.." I started, before he held up his hand to halt my words. "I know you disagree, but you are too close to the situation to see it for what it is. I am not going to push these issues anymore right now, because I don't think that would be good for you. But I do think you need to talk about them. I am willing to listen, but I think you should talk to someone with more experience in these areas."

"You think I need a shrink?" Where does he get off?

"Babe, everyone goes through stuff in their life they need help dealing with. Rangeman has a couple counselors we contract with. Maybe you could talk to one of them or we could find someone else, whatever you want. I would like you to talk to someone. Please." He gave me his soft smile and he said please. Bastard.

I sighed, "Ranger, I think you are overreacting to all of this a bit, but if you look at my life there is plenty of stuff that I could stand to talk about. I will do it, but it doesn't mean I agree with you. I don't feel like I was a victim of anything. I don't know any different." God, now I was getting depressed.

"Thank you. I know you think I am passing judgment on you. I'm not. I'm just angry for the hurt you have been through and that I didn't know about it before. When we met I had one of the guys check into your background. With our military history, we go for more conventional methods, public records, school report cards, job histories. We generally don't ask the neighborhood gossip. Plus usually most people get one look at us and slam the door before throwing the deadbolt. Knowing this really sheds a lot of light on the amount of influence the burg and Morelli seem to have on you. I just wish I could have done something about it. I know I didn't know you then, but I think about if something like this had happened to Julie, well it wouldn't have been pretty. I would have acted. There could be a trial, but that would be hard because dead men don't testify." He was worried about me. It was sweet. It sounded like a big brother sort of way right now which was so not hot, but whatever. His tone helped soothe the irritation of his conclusions on my life, on the burg.

I found myself on the receiving end of another crushing bear hug. "No wonder you are so strong," he marveled. "Growing up, you may not have been able to consciously understand it, but you knew what was happening was wrong. You wanted to be different than them, protect yourself, and become Wonder Woman. The little rebellions like jumping off the roof and running Morelli over with the car, you were trying to protect yourself the best way you knew how." His tone was sweet, filled with admiration. All of my annoyance with him faded, he really was worried about me and a lot of what he said sparked things that I had always felt, but didn't know how to name.

He was squeezing harder, luckily he released me right before I passed out from lack of oxygen. I took a deep breath before I pulled back a little and looked up at him. His eyes were warm with concern and something else – pride maybe? I took his face in my hands before I spoke. "Thank you. Thank you for caring enough about me to push me. I am sorry I was angry. You know I have a hard time facing reality sometimes. I learned growing up where I did that nothing good ever came out of questioning the norm. I still think you are overreacting a bit, but I understand it is out of concern for me. Some of what you said touches on things I have felt, but pushed aside because I knew no one would support me. Thank you."

After I finished, I gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. He kissed me back, deepening the kiss. His hands came up to my back, gently rubbing before using them to pull me into him. I felt his warm, hard chest press against mine and a low moan escaped my throat. This only encouraged him. Somewhere in the back of my mind, my conscience nagged at me; technically yes, I was still with Joe, but after this afternoon, I knew it was over. I have realized some things that I wouldn't be able to look past. Whether I agreed with Ranger's assessment of the events, it was painfully obvious to me that my relationship with Joe was not a healthy one and there was no changing that. I was emotionally exhausted from our conversation and emotionally raw. I needed, no, I deserved some happy. Where ever this was headed, I was going along for the ride.

Ranger slid his hands up my sides until they brushed the sides of my breasts. He cupped them in his large palms, kneading them; the rough pad of his thumb brushing against my nipples. I was almost grateful for the double layer of the workout top, the sensation of this thumbs on my bare skin would have been too much, too intense. He groaned at my body's response to him. I felt him harden underneath me and I ground my hips into him, the wetness seeping though my knit pants, threatening to soak his as well. When he released my mouth from his I assaulted his chest and stomach with open mouthed kisses and licks. My eyes took in the expanse of mocha latte skin and his chocolate colored nipples. Yummy. Fuck pineapple! My new favorite cake flavor was milk chocolate with a hint of coffee. I used the flat of my tongue to lap at his nipple before I drew it into my mouth and sucked hard and then bit down. This elicited another growl as I licked again to soften the sting.

Ranger apparently had his own sweet ideas as one of his hands slid down my waist and his fingers curled under my ass, pulling me closer to him as he throbbed against my center. He reached lower, sliding his fingers between my cheeks to rub against me through my pants. Slowly he ran his fingers back and forth over the seam making me whimper into his chest. That was all the encouragement he needed, he grabbed a hold of my hair and pulled my mouth up to his, devouring my lips and tongue. While his left hand was tangled in my curls, his right hand skimmed down to my waist as he slid his hand under the waistband of my pants and into my panties. His hand cupped my mound as he snaked his long fingers down my slit, finding me soaking wet.

"Christ!" He ground out as he plunged two long fingers into me. "I want to make you feel good Babe." He whispered huskily in my ear before licking and sucking the lobe into his mouth. He stilled for a moment, waiting for my permission. Breathlessly I consented with a pleading "Yes…" He began to pump his fingers in and out of me slowly adding a third. His thumb found my clit and began to circle it with gentle pressure. I was slowly burning from the inside out. A fire started in the pit of my stomach and I could feel the flames spreading across my whole body, threatening every nerve ending. His mouth released mine and his lips moved to my neck, mimicking the treatment I had given his chest earlier. He licked and sucked at the spot where my neck and shoulder meet; circling the bruise he had left in anger and passion the night before. He increased the force of his thrusting as he curled his fingers brushing over my g-spot with each thrust. He increased the pressure of his thumb on my clit, stopped circling it and simply held his thumb against it as he stilled his movements and tightened his grip with both his thumb and fingers, holding me as if in a vice as I shamelessly ground myself against him, holding onto his shoulders to steady myself.

"Omigod, ohmigod, ohmigod!" I shrieked as he bit down on my pulse point as my orgasm washed over me, flooding his hand with my juices. I clung to his shoulders as my body went though small aftershocks and I tried to resume some sense of normal breathing. He used his fingers and thumb to gently massage and let me down before removing his hand as I whimpered at the empty feeling. He brought his fingers to his mouth, sucking them in and using his tongue to clean them as a satisfied hum escaped his lips. "Hhmm, so sweet."

"Pretty pleased with yourself there aren't you Bat Man?" I managed, my voice a little more breathy than I intended.

His eyes twinkled and blackened as he gave a satisfied smile. "Right now I feel a lot more like Little Jack Horner than Batman."

Now it has been a while, but I still remember my nursery rhymes. I ran through it in my mind:

Little Jack Horner

Sat in the corner

Eating his Christmas pie

He put in his thumb

And pulled out a plum

And said 'What a good boy am I?'

I blushed and pressed my face into his neck, placing gentle kisses along his throat. My hand snaked down his chest to his waistband intending to return the favor. His hand caught my wrist and pulled it up to his mouth. He placed a kiss on the inside of my wrist and another in my palm before curling his hand around mine. He removed me from his lap and tucked me into the crook of his arm.

"Babe, as much as I would like for you to continue, and I really want to continue, you have had a lot to deal with today. When this happens for us again, I don't want any chance that you will regret it because you weren't thinking clearly. I should have stopped earlier, but I just wanted you to feel good, feel the power you have. And I love watching you come." He ended with a wolf grin.

"You grin at me like that again and I am going to hop on top of you and ride you like a pony, not caring what you think." I gave him my own grin; guess I was feeling pretty powerful.

He groaned. "Babe" which meant, stop torturing me.

He slouched down to lay in the bed, turning on his side and pulling me in close. Wow, the control this man must have. I could feel behind me how much he really wanted to continue. The concern and love he showed for me today made my heart tighten and flip flop sensations in my stomach. Before I could think too much about it, I closed my eyes and drifted off feeling comforted as a satisfied smile graced my lips.

4,272 words minus title, warning, yada, yada, yada.